Shloka 35

शिवस्य पञ्चब्रह्मावतारवर्णनम्

Description of Shiva’s Pañcabrahma Avatāras

Devanagari script

ईशानोऽपि तथादिश्य सन्मार्गं ब्रह्मणे विभुः । सशक्तिः कल्पयांचक्रे स बालांश्चतुरः शुभान्

Transliteration

īśāno'pi tathādiśya sanmārgaṃ brahmaṇe vibhuḥ | saśaktiḥ kalpayāṃcakre sa bālāṃścaturaḥ śubhān

Translation

Ainsi Īśāna—le Seigneur qui pénètre tout—après avoir instruit Brahmā dans la voie véritable, fit ensuite, avec sa Śakti, se manifester quatre jeunes êtres divins, de bon augure.

Word by Word

• īśānaḥ: Īśāna (the Lord)
• īśānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle: also/even)

• tathā: thus
• tathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverb: thus/so)

• ādiśya: having instructed
• ādiśya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√diś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having instructed/commanded’

• sat-mārgam: the right path
• sat-mārgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + mārga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्मधारयः (सन्/शुभः मार्गः)

• brahmaṇe: to Brahmā
• brahmaṇe: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः (Dative), एकवचनम्

• vibhuḥ: the mighty one
• vibhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vibhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; कर्तृपद-समर्थक-विशेष्यः

• sa-śaktiḥ: together with (his) power
• sa-śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/सम्- अर्थे उपसर्गवत्) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सहार्थ-तत्पुरुषः (śaktyā saha)

• kalpayām: an arrangement/creation
• kalpayām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpayā (प्रातिपदिक; √kḷp causative stem)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘kalpayā’ (arrangement/creation) as object in idiom with √kṛ

• cakre: made, effected
• cakre: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम्

• bālān: boys/children
• bālān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (conjunction: and)

• caturaḥ: four
• caturaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• śubhān: auspicious
• śubhān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; विशेषणम्

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Shakti Dimension

Shakti Form: Pārvatī

Role: creative

Cosmic Context

Cosmic Event: Post-instruction creative emission: appearance of four auspicious divine youths as agents within the new kalpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Brahma
• Shakti

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It presents Śiva as Īśāna—the supreme Pati—who reveals the sanmārga (right path) even to Brahmā, showing that liberation-oriented knowledge and dharma arise from Śiva’s grace and guidance.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

By naming Īśāna and emphasizing Śiva acting with Śakti, the verse supports Saguna contemplation: devotees worship the Lord as a personal, guiding deity (often through the Śiva-liṅga) who instructs and manifests cosmic functions while remaining supreme.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to meditate on Śiva with Śakti as the source of right knowledge—reciting the Panchākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) while contemplating Śiva as the inner teacher who sets one on the sanmārga.